Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

Published on by Margaret

I’ve been having pain and pins and needles in my right hand – in my little and ring fingers and down the side of my hand and arm up to my elbow. I contacted my GP. The surgery is not offering routine appointments and offered me a telephone conversation. It wasn’t easy to describe in detail and three phone calls later from a trainee doctor, who kept going to consult his supervisor, he said my ulnar nerve is damaged.

I looked it up online and it is called Ulnar neuritis or Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and it is very common – I had heard of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome but not Cubital. The ulnar nerve runs around the inner side of the elbow in a groove just behind a bony prominence (medial epicondyle). The nerve, where it lies in the groove, is covered by a tough layer of tissue which forms a tunnel (cubital tunnel). It is important as it controls the small muscles in the hand which are particularly important for fine movements such as doing up buttons and it is also responsible for normal feeling in the little and ring fingers.

Most often Cubital Tunnel Syndrome occurs because of leaning on or sleeping with a bent elbow for long periods. In my case it’s caused by sitting at the computer in a carver chair leaning my arm on the hard chair arm with my wrist on the hard edge of my desk. It began a while ago and has gradually been getting worse, until I couldn’t bear to type any more.

So, as well as wearing the wrist strap and taking anti-inflammatory tablets I’m trying to adjust my position and also learning how to write on my husband’s iPad using voice control, so I’m hoping to be back blogging properly soon.

18 thoughts on “Cubital Tunnel Syndrome”

  1. So sorry you’re having to deal with that, Margaret. I hope the meds and other changes you are making will do the job, so you feel better soon.

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  2. Margaret, I’m so sorry that you’re dealing with this, but I do understand about sitting in a certain chair and in a certain way. I think we all do that to a degree. Good luck with your efforts to ‘change it up’ somewhat.

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    1. Thanks, Kay! Yes, it’s difficult to make changes when I’ve been using my PC for so long. But I’m getting used to the change to the iPad.

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  4. That sounds very painful and I do hope it eases very soon. I hadn’t heard of it but it’s making me look at my own behaviour… how I sit at my pc for instance and how I sleep at night. Thanks for the warning. Take care.

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  5. How difficult, I hope you heal quickly. Try and rest that arm and elbow as much as you can. I did not know sleeping on a bent elbow could result in that.

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  6. Well if you manage to write that on the iPad with all those complicated terms in it you’re doing very well with the voice recognition. I have a couple of iPads and I find that one of them is better at recognising my voice than the other. One of them just refuses to communicate with me. I must’ve offended it somehow are another! The Bears and I hope you’re soon very much better Margaret. Take care and keep safe.

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    1. As you suspect I didn’t use the voice recognition!! I tried but although it recognises my voice I’m not fluent enough to use it and it kept typing all the comments I said in between what I wanted to write. It’s my husband’s iPad and I’m still using how to use it in the first place let alone mastering the voice recognition. But I don’t think I’ll go back to using the PC, I do like the iPad.

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  9. Sleeping with a bent elbow is a fairly common position I would have thought – who would have thought it would result in such a painful condition….. Hope your new regime brings you relief Margaret. Is voice control the same thing as voice recognition? I tried the latter several times but found it so frustrating

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  10. This is the first time I’ve used an iPad and it’s all a bit hit and miss at the moment. This morning for example, I messed up completely. It’s my husband’s, so I asked him about voice control etc as I’m so ignorant about what I am doing. He says what I was using was dictation and voice control and voice activation are not the same as dictation. Whatever, I find dictation works ok except when I don’t what what to say next and waffle. But I think when I have got used to the iPad I’ll find it much easier than using the PC – and maybe even be able to use the dictation – maybe.

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  11. I wish you a speedy recovery. Having a diagnosis and action plan will help!
    As to voice recognition, I wonder whether using your husband’s iPad lowers the rate at which the system improves its performance by learning your voice.

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